If you love the Haunted Mansion, we have some HUGE NEWS.

The Haunted Mansion in Disney World recently got some upgrades and it is set to get the addition of the Hatbox Ghost by the end of the year too. We’ve also seen amazing Haunted Mansion items released on Amazon, hints that the Haunted Mansion could be featured on Disney’s newest cruise ship, and more haunting news. But now it seems the Haunted Mansion area in Disneyland is going to get some MAJOR changes.

Disney has announced that the grounds of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland will be EXPANDING in 2024.

According to Disney, these additions will “build on the story and lore of the Haunted Mansion.”

So what changes will take place? Well, first there will be an expanded outdoor queue “to immerse guests in enhanced theming.” Disney shares, “Local legend suggests the manor known today as the Haunted Mansion was first built by a prosperous sea captain. To this day, the mansion’s staff faithfully maintains the happy haunting grounds. The expanded queue will tie into these stories and more, including new gardens inspired by Master Gracey, Madame Leota and the one-eyed cat.”

Disney has also shared that “the objects found in Leota’s garden will be inspired by her incantation!”

There will be gardens in this space that’ll “feature unique elements ranging from a water fountain and gazebo to themed statuary and landscaping.” Guests will also get the chance to “see a new greenhouse where the groundskeepers for the Haunted Mansion grow their plants.”

And don’t worry — Disney has assured fans that “The pet cemetery and horse-drawn funeral hearse will continue to reside on the attraction’s grounds.”

Disney World already has an interactive Haunted Mansion queue, complete with a mystery story to solve and everything. We’ll be very interested to see how this queue will compare.

There will also be a NEW retail shop next to the ride’s exit. Disney shares, “This carriage house of the mansion, belonging to Leota, will be a standalone shop that we are just ‘dying’ to tell you more about in the future.”

It sounds like this could be somewhat similar to the Memento Mori shop that exists in Disney World but we’ll be curious to see just how alike (or different!) these stores are.

Construction on these new additions in Disneyland is set to begin in January of 2024.

Plus, Disney has shared that they’ll be taking this opportunity to “improve the accessibility of these areas which includes a new elevator exit from the Haunted Mansion for guests with disabilities.”

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time some in recent years that changes have hit the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Back in 2021, enhancements were made to the ride’s mechanics, interiors, and exteriors. On the outside, freshly landscaped details arrived around the pet cemetery. Inside, new drapes, carpet, and wallpaper arrived. And one of the original portraits — April to December — returned to the Mansion.

Note that at the moment the Haunted Mansion is closed in Disneyland as it gets transformed into Haunted Mansion Holiday. It’ll open as Haunted Mansion Holiday on September 1st, 2023.

We’ll keep an eye out for more news on the 2024 update and let you know what we find!

Click here to see the Haunted Mansion Loungefly bags you WON’T be able to resist!

What do you think about these changes? Tell us in the comments!

The post BREAKING: Disney Announces Haunted Mansion Area EXPANSION first appeared on the disney food blog.